Justice Demons Book One: Harder Than Necessary
by Ragdoll
Summary: *COMPLETE*Richard unknowingly calls a vengence demon to him when he and Anita break up in TKD. The VD isn't who you would first think it is, in Buffy it's AU from partway through S4 which may give you a clue to the demons identity.
1. Harder Than Necessary

This story came about when I was watching the fourth season of Buffy, and I thought, "Hmmm. That would be interesting." I have hopes of making this a series with Willow, and eventually Anya, dealing with the Soap Opera that is Anita Blakes Universe.   
  
In Buffy: It's AU, Instead of D'Hoffryn showing Willow what her spells did to her friends, he showed her them saying how irrated they were with her poor me attitude. And since she was acting all petty then, she accepted his offer, but made it so that the demons stopped chasing Xander. Because I think its funny, even though I hate the B/S pairing, and also since thier only in this story in passing mention, Buffy and Spike did get married. Giles stayed blind. Nobody knows for sure what happened to Willow though everyone suspects. Later Anya did get dumped at the altar by Xander, and does get her vengence on. Again.   
  
This story takes place in what would be the time around Season seven, but past Glory, none of the other baddies showed up.   
  
In Anita Blake it takes place after the Killing Dance. AU from there. But don't concentrate to much on the how it fits in with the series, because the other parts of this series that I have planned, will take place in the other books, along with going along with this story. If you get to technical with it, your brain will explode.   
  
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns the Buffy stuff. Laurrell K. Hamilton owns the Anita stuff.  
  
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Prologue  
  
Arash Ma'har, despite it's almost constant in the darkness, was a nice place. Demons, for the most part are, are neutral creatures. At least when it comes to other demons. It's humans they generally have a problem with.   
  
But since the only humans that come to Arash Ma'har are being offered a chance to be changed into a demon, or are infact getting turned into one, Arash Ma'har stays a pretty peaceful place.   
  
As peaceful a place as it can be when the leader of the demon realm is a vengence demon, and the dominant species there is of the vengence variety.   
  
But it's still a nice enough place to be. The more combatitive demons stay on earth, where they belong, wreaking havoc and causing problems for the Slayer and other fighters for the good. While others only arrive on earth, or it's other realities when summoned. Either by spell, or as is more common, extreme emotion.   
  
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Chapter One  
  
Richard Zeeman leaned over his desk, his forehead dropped into his palms as he contemplated his life. Not that he was thinking of suicide, though it had crossed his mind, but just thinking over the events in his life.   
  
The woman he loved, who loved him, had slept with her other boyfriend. Who was a vampire, and she was only dating to ensure his safety. Or at least that was how it had started out. Then he'd almost died, all three of them, but it had been prevented, something for which at the time he wasn't completely greatful for, but now that school was stating up again and he had something to focus on instead of the pack and Anita, he was starting to enjoy more and more.   
  
The whole being of the living, that is.   
  
Richard looked up startled when he heard the door connecting his room to the classroom next to it open. In the doorway stood a woman he had never seen before. She was short, a little taller than Anita, but thinner. A little more waif like without the wole malnurished look. She had pale skin, red hair, and large green eyes that were crinkled at the corners because she was smiling at him.   
  
"Hi." She said, "I was just coming in to bring in the last few boxes of stuff, when I saw your light on. And I thought to my self, I though self' here's someone else who likes to go and set up their classrooms at 10 o'clock at night. A kindred spirit so to speak. So I figred I'd come by and introduce myself, since we're gonna be neighbors for the next school year." She walked into the room, her shoes tapping on the tiled floor and came to a stop infront of the lab table he was sitting behind and presented him with her hand, "I'm Willow Rosenberg. Your classrooms bigger than mine. Thats not really fair. Just because I'm the newbie, and I'm babbling so I'm going to stop now so you can say your name."   
  
"Richard Zeeman." He replied, regarding the young woman. She looked really young, 23 or 24 at most. That didn't surprise him, he'd strted teaching around the same age, and there were younger teachers.   
  
"Have you been teaching long?" She asked, leaning against the table, her eyes lit with interest. But it didn't seem like the same kind of interest that he usually recieved from women. Richard wasn't a conceited man, but he knew he was good looking, he was used to women getting to know him just because he was handsome. Not really listening to what he was saying, but just looking at him.   
  
And that sounded concieted, but it was the truth. But Willow Rosenberg didn't seem to be watching him like she wanted to jump him. More like she just was a friendly person who liked to know who and what was going on around her.   
  
"A few years." He replied, "You?"  
  
"Well I taught highschool for a little while. This is really my first year of teaching though."   
  
"Thats a weird answer."  
  
"I know. I was still in highschool when I took over for Ms. Calendar. She died, I was the smartest girl in school, and I knew my way around a computer, so I got the job. But I tutored people all my life. Well I say tutor, they say torture, but hey, potatoe, potatoh." She shrugged, "And thats like teaching. But for the work I did with Xander and Percy, whoo boy, I should of been getting paid the national treasury." She smiled again to show she was just joking around, and her smile seemed to be contageous, because he found himself to be smiling for the first time in the two weeks since Anita and he had broken up.   
  
"Hey look at that. A smile. Very much an improvement over Mr. Frowny whom I was first introduced to." That actually pulled a chuckle out of him, although a reluctant one, and she seemed to be proud of herself when she heard it. A few seconds later she excused herself from the room to get back to work in her class.  
  
"This is gonna take a while." She muttered to herself, the quirky smile that she had on her face while talking to Richard dropping, as she regarded her classroom. Snapping her fingers everything she had yet to put up to decorate her room flew into place, silently. And she nodded her improvement, unfortunately snapping her fingers at MR. Zeeman wouldn't make him make a wish.   
  
She was going to have to go all out for this one. She was going to have to befriend him, gain his trust, before he would even confide in her about his recent breakup. Much less make a wish about something for revenge against Miss. Anita Blake. Vampire Executioner extraordinair.   
  
Please. She had guns and a large dollop of good luck.   
  
Willow wished she was still friends with Buffy, and wished that Buffy was in this reality just so she could put "The Executioner" in her place.   
  
Maybe she could talk Faith into doing it. She was in prison, had been for over two years, she was probably ready for a little break from the montony of day to day life in the joint. A trip to another realm would make for some interesting "Wish you were here." stories.   
  
But she was all redemptiony now, trying to become Angel Junior.  
  
Willow let out a sigh.   
  
Being a vengence demon, or Justice Demon, as Halfrek called them, was hard work.   
  
"Especially," Willow thought, sticking her tounge out at the door that connected Richard Zeeman's and her classrooms, "when people make it harder than necessary."  
  
___  
  
TBC  
  
This isn't a fluffy romance story, Willows not going to give up her demonhood to stay with Richard in the end. I'm not saying nothing will happen between the two, but it's not going to be a happy ever after deal, because that won't work for the ones I have planned in the future.   
  
So in the end, if people like this, they will meet again.  
  
But I won't know if you like it unless you review.   
  
So do that please. 


	2. Look Who's On Cavalry Duty!

Note: Anya isn't an emotional vengy demon like she became in S6. She's like she was originally in S3, but still has Anya traits when she's with her friends, or in human form. Also she never lost her ability toteleport.  
  
~~~  
  
Willow frowned and circled the salt ring on the floor, clicking her tounge as she made her rounds, trying to decide who to call on.   
  
She had a problem, a serious one. School had started two weeks before, and she was seeing Richard Zeeman five days a week, but he wouldn't confide in her. Sure he would talk to her about school stuff, and a little bit of his family, and some of the stuff he was interested in, but not about Anita.   
  
The reason she was here on this twisted plane of reality where vampires were members of society and werewolfs were an everyday thing.   
  
But Richard didn't like to talk about that stuff. And he wouldn't talk about Anita, because he didn't want to tell about him being a werewolf. So she needed a way to get him to trust her enough to confide in her about that part of his life.   
  
And to do that, she needed a lycanthrope.   
  
"I should of put that as one of my traits when I made this identity." Willow mentally berated herself, not for the first time. She could do that too, as a Justice Demon, Hallie had paid a visit the night before, and she was all about being PC, she could shape the life she led when she was on a job, or just visiting somewhere, completely. Say she was in a place where everyone had a green skin, when Willow was there, her skin was a lovely lime shade.   
  
Whatever she needed.   
  
But she hadn't felt like dealing with that aspect, cause then she'd of had to either rewrite a lot of past minor history to either make herself an existing member of the Thronnos Rokke Clan, or go through the whole deal of getting accepted into the clan. Then you have to decide what color wolf you are, how powerful you are, and it's really a lot more effort than is necessary, when 6 times out of ten, the person is so revengy they're off spouting deathwishes (or any other types of wishes) about their exes to anyone who will listen. And a few people who would rather not.   
  
Well Willow was now paying for her lazyness.  
  
And she needed someone who owed her a big enough favor to come and pose as relative or someone close and as an incoming werewolf, so she could get in closer to Richard.   
  
And then she still had to deal with getting him to make a wish about Anita, or even one about JEan Claude. The latter seemed more likely, thogh not very so. As hurt and angry he was about his breakup, he wasn't the vengence wish making type.   
  
Which was a rare enough thing in itself. Almost every single person living on this planet, this reality or not, had at least some vindictiveness in them. Richard had it, but he didn't seem to be using it.   
  
Hell, when Willow found Oz with Veruca, had a vengence demon shown up instead of her relying on herself to make the problem go away, Oz would probably living today and everyday with cramps no Midol could tame.   
  
And she probably wouldn't be here today trying to get a simple freaking wish out of a boyscout of a werewolf king.   
  
Problem was, nobody really owed her any favors. She was young, she'd only been a demon for about 3 years. And the fact that she was so young and already one of D'hoffyns favorites, didn't endear her to most of the underlings.   
  
Hallie couldn't help, she was off liberating a sweatshop in Asia somewhere, granting lots of wishes for underpaid prepubescents.   
  
And Anya...  
  
Woah.  
  
Anya was in her living room. Looking very worried.   
  
She wasn't supposed to be here, she was supposed to be back in Sunnydale running her shop and granting wishes on the Hellmouth.   
  
Willow informed her of that.  
  
Anya explained.   
  
She'd granted a wish that got the hearts ripped out of some frat boys and now Buffy wanted to make her a dead demon.   
  
Well that kind of stunk.   
  
But still Spider Demon, impressive.   
  
"Thanks I thought it was all very good. Buffy apparently didn't agree." Anya shrugged as she said this. "I left all my money in Sunnydale." She seemed most upset by this, as she wrinkled her nose stepping out of the salt ring and plopping down on the couch. "So how have you been? Why is there salt on your floor?"  
  
"I'm ok, reluctant wisher." Anya nodded her comprehension on what that made you feel like, "The salt was there to summon someone to come and help me get a wish out of this guy. And since your here, you wanna do it for me?"   
  
"Well. What would it entail?"  
  
Willow explained, and after a few moments in silence she nodded her agreement, but had one question, "Can I still grant wishes? You know if I come across a situation that deserves a little retribution?"   
  
"Fine, as long as they don't cause to much disruption. Don't summon any demons, the cops in this town are very effective. And don't do ones that change the world as we know it. At least wait to do those ones until I'm done with this guy. Deal?"  
  
"Deal." Anya stood and shook Willows hand, very buisness like. "So lets get something to eat and get to work."  
  
"Alright. Theirs this great Chinese place on the corner. Here's the plan..." Willow grabbed her purse from the table by the door and opened the door for Anya, explaining as they left what she figured they'd have to do to get this to work.   
  
___  
  
TBC 


	3. Just A Tiny Favor

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Willow crossed her eyes and let out a sigh, putting her best innocent, oh gosh expression on her face. Stealing herself, she pushed open the door that connected her to Richard Zeeman. Class's had been let out for the day, and the only people left were some teachers and the janitorial crew. Richard sat at his table at the front of the classrom, grading papers it looked like, and smiling at something he was reading.   
  
"What'cha doin?" Willow asked innocently, sidling up to his desk, causing him to look up and give her a slight smile.   
  
"Reading the weekly journals for class." He tapped a large stack of loose leaf paper packets, "Interesting views 7th and 8th graders have."   
  
"I know what you mean." She answered simply, letting their coversation drift into a silence. It helped to set up the mood that she was embarassed or worried abut something. She threw in a few fidgets to help her act along. Since becoming a vengence demon she had become quite the consumate actress.   
  
Richard glanced at his fellow teacher, appraising her silence. Since he had met her a few weeks before, he could not remember a time when she was silent like this. She was a nervous talker. She babbled something fierce. It was kind of cute.   
  
In a strictly platonic sort of way of course. He had just come out of a serious relationship with a BAD breakup.   
  
"Is something the matter?" He asked when the silence stretched longer between them, in response to his question he got a very rapid head shaking. He leveled a look on her which clearly said, "Uh huh. Sure."   
  
"Nothings wrong." She held up three fingers, "Scouts honor."  
  
"Were you a boy scout?"  
  
"No but you probably were, so by association this counts."   
  
"Says who?"  
  
"The Boy Scouts of America of course." She colored slightly and added, "And, well, mostly me."  
  
"Right. Well if theres nothing wrong did you want to ask me something?"  
  
"Just a little question." She confessed.   
  
"And..."   
  
"It's really more of a favor to a friend. Well a very close cousin, who has a question." She held up her thumb and her forefinger about an inch apart, "Just a little one. Anya's a little bit shy around strangers."  
  
She had also become very good at lying. Because had the non demon Willow let out that whopper, even to someone who had never met Anyanka before, they would make her wear a great big scarlet F. An F for Fibber.   
  
But Richard looked like he bought it.   
  
It might of just been him though, and not her superior lying powers. He was just like that.  
  
Trusting.   
  
That will get you all of nowhere in the world.   
  
Take a look at his current situation. She comes to him in the form of a perky young redheaded English teacher, and he just accepts it at face value. Tsk. Tsk.  
  
"Well," Richard's voice broke her out of her thoughts, "If you aren't going to ask the question, I'm not going to be able to help you."   
  
Willow gave him a large embarassed smile, "Right. Well, my cousin Anya is moving to town. Really soon, and she's a werewolf, and she wanted me to ask you if she could come, cause if not she'll have to change her plans really quick."   
  
She said this all very fast so it sounded more like, "Well,mycousinAnyaismovingtotown.Reallysoon,andshe'sawerewolf,  
  
andshewantedmetoaskyouifshecouldcome,causeifnotshe'llhavetochange  
  
herplansreallyquick."  
  
It took Richard a few seconds to sort out all she said and then he just stared at the woman infront of him who gave a nervous smile and said, "See, just a tiny question. Minute even." She nodded, "Some would say microscopic."  
  
"Willow." Richard interupted the on coming babble. To which she replied, "Stopping now."  
  
"Very good." Richard paused and strained his ears to hear anyone nearby who might overhear thier conversation. Though he didn't hear anyone, he stopped and closed the classroom door. "Now explain. Slowly."  
  
Willow nodded succinctly and proceeded to explain the story she and Anya had come up with. Anya was Willows cousin and closest friend, Anya was moving to St. Louis, and in with her best friend, because things were getting really bad at home in her marriage. She couldn't go through the normal channels of relocating to another pack, because her husband was high in the pack heirarchy, and she was a very low, and she needed to get out in secret. And fast.  
  
The story, worked like a charm when coupled with a few tear filled eyes, because Richard was a bleeding heart.   
  
And the Oscar goes too...  
  
"I suppose if she could..." Richard trailed off, they both knew the answer was yes.   
  
...Willow Rosenberg, Demon/Actress Extraordinaire.   
  
"Oh!" Willow smiled estatically at him bouncing and rounding his table and throwing herself around his neck, "You are the very best. You deserve a plaque. And oooh a ticker tape parade." A look came over Willows face, as though she was seriously thinking out how to arrange such a feat, before she brushed it off and kissed Richards cheek, jumping down and letting a very startled looking werewolf out of her embrace. He was blushing.   
  
Perfect.   
  
She calmed herself, and grasped his hands between her own, *Was she over playing this?* and gave him a serious gratitude filled look.   
  
Which he returned with a genuine glad-to-help-smile.   
  
*Not at all*  
  
___  
  
TBC  
  
Next chapter, Richard meets Anya, and well, just imagine what that would be like. Also things start to heat up between Richard and Willow. (There may be an appearance by another charecter. 


	4. Things Gossip Is Made Of

(I'm doing early Anya personality more than the later Anya. Think season four)  
  
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Anya fidgeted on her side of the booth, before leaning across the table towards Willow and speaking in a low voice, "I don't like being a werewolf."  
  
"Anya." Willow reprimanded, giving the older demon a look. Anya rolled her eyes and fidgeted some more looking irratated, "It's like in there, and it's all..." Anya rolled her shoulders and failed to come up with a word to properly describe the sensation of having a beast inside you. Willow reached across the table and patted Anya's hand, a hand that was jerked away almost immediatly, Anya pinned a glare on Willow.   
  
Willow stifled a giggle and leaned across the table, Anya did the same so they were barely an inch apart, "I know it's uncomfy. Remember that time when I had to..." Willow cut off as she saw felt Richard enter the Cafe, and said quickly to Anya, "Act like a battered wife. Not to much, though. Remember your shy." Willow painted a mask over her own face, one that showed true devotion towards her "cousin" and gratitude for the man walking towards thier table at the moment.   
  
Willow stood up to greet Richard a smile on her face...  
  
"Oooh. Is he your orgasm friend? Cause if not..."   
  
And the Anya we all know and love just had to rear her ugly head. Willow watched as a blush rose up over Richards face as she turned to look at Anya who had the uncanny ability to leer and look abashed at the same time.   
  
Richard cleared his throat in the silence that followed and looked to Willow, "I thought she was shy."  
  
"She usually is, but it's like a gene. The people in our family just speak before we think." Please believe that. Please believe that.   
  
He bought it. He'd heard her blurt out things more than once since he'd met her.   
  
Richard cleared his throat again and motioned behind him, "Theres a private room back there. So we can discuss this. In private." His blush darkened just a shade as he said those words, as he thougt of the double meaning in those words. He shook it off, "Anyway. Back here." And with that he turned away, and started walking for a door.  
  
--  
  
"I didn't think you'd be here Willow." Richard commented taking a seat in the soundproof room, and motioning for them to do the same.   
  
"Yeah well," Willow replied with a good natured shrug, "Someones gotta keep an eye on Anya. Otherwise she'd have to waste all the time explaining why she needed bail. It's easier to just be there, and state that you had no part in it." Willow didn't turn to meet the glare she knew Anya was instilling in her.   
  
With not much more ado than that, Richard turned to the interview portion of the meeting. Which despite her discomfort at having a wolf beast in her body and her anger at Willow, Anya played her part like a pro. And managed to mske Richard blush a few more times.   
  
Finally about an hour later Richard had accepted Anya into the Thronos Rokke Clan.   
  
"We're going to go out to celebrate. Anya's arrival into town and her finally leaving that loser. You wanna come?" Willow asked. It was all part of the plan. Take thier commradery to a deeper level, allowing him to see into thier personal lives. Which would hopefully open him up and yank a wish out from between his lips.   
  
"I don't think so." Richard replied after a beat. He looked apoligetic as he said this. Him saying no was not acceptable though.   
  
"Please?"   
  
"Sorry, I'm not in a celebraty mood."  
  
"Thanks." Anya put in indignantly, as if that was a direct barb towards her arrival in town.   
  
"I'll just bring you down. It'll end up a moping thing." His resolve was weakening, probably a result of the puppy dog pouts they were directing at him.   
  
"Not if we get you all liquored up. That'll make you happy." Anya replied as they walked out the door and back into the main room of the Lunatic Cafe, latching onto one of his arms while Willow commandeered the other.   
  
"Please?" Willow begged from his shoulder where her head was level with, she turned her face upward and batted her eyelashes, jutting her lower lip out further.  
  
"Fine." Richard Zeeman conceeded, rolling his eyes, and Willow clapped hr hands excitedly, still keeping his arm latched with hers, as they left the building and headed for their cars.   
  
"That was..." The blonde werewolf known as Jason Schuyler trailed off watching the threesome depart. He was standing near the counter holding a bag of take out, when his Ulfric had left the backroom, with two very pretty women on his arms, and none of them had even noticed him. Richard usually noticed him to yell at him at least. "Weird." He finished, leaving the cafe and heading back to the Circus to deliver the food, and the news of what he had just seen to Jean Claude.   
  
Jean Claude did love his gossip, after all. And the only news about Richard lately was he moped alot, though he was no longer agressively suicidal.   
  
This would probably end up being something big. When it came to that group that he asociated with one woman, Anita Blake, things like this that seem mostly inconsequential usually ended up very consequential.   
  
But the usually resolved themselves within a few days. So by next Saturday things should be back to normal, if the past routine was anything to rely on.   
  
___  
  
Hey new chapter. You ask I give. I would like to place a request for more reviews. Jean Claude and Anita will most likely start off the next chapter, which will also include the trio's celebration, 


	5. Revelations And Celebrations

I got a review that said my authors notes were annoying. Well Laura D as much as I appreciate your review and he fact you liked my take on mixing the worlds, no one will ever escape my authors notes. I like to write them cause it makes me feel like I'm connecting with my readers.   
  
Note for this chapter: I'm making Jason pomme de sang for Jean Claude and making it known to Anita a lot sooner than it was in the book. (I think, I haven't read over the series in a while.) Also I'm giving Jean Claude a backbone, which he still did have, at least a tiny sliver of one, during the earlier books. I hope the major reconstructive surgery didn't harm him to much. ;)  
  
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Jason hurried through the lower levels of the Circus. The sun would be setting in a few minutes and Jean Claude liked to have breakfast in bed. Well more of a breakfast waiting by the coffin, rather than bed, but you get the general idea.   
  
He had rushed home to the Circus imediately after seeing Richard depart with the two strange women. Both of them very pretty, one of them a werewolf. He'd dropped the bag of assorted sandwiches and burgers of in the kitchen for the people who had ordered them, and then hightailed it to the coffin room.   
  
He got there just before the lid to Jean Claudes coffin opened. He was cutting it close. From now on someone else played delivery boy for the werewolfs that stayed at the Circus.   
  
A few minutes later Jason was leaning against the wall, trying not to fall over from lightheadedness, he knew from experience it would pass soon.   
  
And it did. But when he finally regained his center of balance Jean Claude was nowhere to be seen.   
  
Yeesh. Just drink and run. And Jean Claude talked about respect for your Pomme de Sangs.   
  
Leaving the coffin room, he headed up the stairs to Jean Claudes office.   
  
"Hey, Jean Claude, you'll never guess what I saw when I was picking up, oh hey Anita." Jason stopped talking and smiled charmigly at Anita as he stood a few steps into the office. Anita Blake, the Executioner, and the woman who would probably end up going on a shooting rampage, of which he would most likely be the first victim of, if she heard what he had to say. She had a tendency to overreact like that.   
  
She also liked to threaten to shoot him. Though he had no idea what brought that urge on.  
  
"Jason." Jean Claudes melodic voice said, his tone hinting that he wasn't pleased with being interuppted. "What is it that you needed to tell me so urgently?"   
  
"Uh." Jason glanced discreetly at Anita and shook his head, "Nothing important. I'll leave you alone now."   
  
Apparently his glance hadn't been as discreet as he had hoped because Anita said, "Stop!" Right before he reached the hallway. Before he turned back to face them, Jason plastered his best innocent smile on his face.   
  
"What can't you tell him infront of me?"   
  
That smile never worked on Anita.  
  
"What? You? No!" Somehow he didn't think that was going to cut it.   
  
And he was right. See he was smarter than people gave him credit for. He *had* gone to college.   
  
For a little while at least.  
  
This could go on for days. Jean Claude knew this, because he looked at Jason and said sternly, "Jason."  
  
"Fine. Just don't shoot me or anything." Anita looked slightly hurt at those words. "As I was saying, I was picking up the food for the wolfs and the people who stay over. Apparently cotton candy and pop corn isn't good enough for them any more-"  
  
"Jason."  
  
"Right. Anyway, I went to the Lunatic Cafe because Mark had a craving for one of thier triple decker burgers. And thats the only place you can order them mostly raw without getting weird looks and lectures on health codes. Hey hey, no need to get angry. I'm just setting up the background like any good story teller would.   
  
"Right I'm not a great story teller, I'm a lowly werewolf.   
  
"So I had just payed for the food and the door to the backroom opened. And out walks Richard. But he had two women hanging off him, one of whom was a werewolf I didn't recognize and the other was just a normal human."   
  
Anita had turned an interesting shade of red. It didn't seem to fascinate Jean Claude as much as it did Jason though, because he just looked at him and asked, "Anything else?"  
  
"Did I mention they were both hot? Cause they were."  
  
Her teeth would probably break under the pressure she was forcing upon them clenching her jaw like that.  
  
"I'm gonna go." Jason announced suddenly when Anita's hand drifted down to the butt of the gun on her hip. Jean Claude merelly nodded as he rounded the desk to crouch down in front of Anita.  
  
He left after that. And got far away.   
  
---  
  
"Ma petite." Jean Claude said, his hand reaching over to still the one stroking the butt of her gun. Startled she looked up at her vampire boyfriend, her eyes holding the faintest shimmer of tears. Jean Claude felt a bolt of anger course through him. Not just at Richard but at Anita as well. "You've moved on is he not allowed to as well?"  
  
"Of course he is." No he isn't! Her mind scramed irrationally, shaking her head to dislodge the thought she looked at Jean Claudes nose and began to speak, "But I never really expected him to. You know. And with two women..."  
  
"Ma petite you don't know for sure what happened. And anyway you have no say at whatever he does." Her eyes narrowed at this, like she refused to accept that. Shaking his head in minor disgust, at both of them, Jean Claude said, surprising himself and Anita when he did, "I think you should go."  
  
"What!" Anita exclaimed, "Go where? After Richard?"  
  
"No. I think you should go away from here. I'm not masochistic enough to spend the night watching you pine away over a man whom your no longer with."  
  
"Jean Claude."  
  
"Please go ma petite. Perhaps we can reschedule for tomorrow."  
  
"I have a raising tomorrow."  
  
"Well maybe next week then."   
  
Anita made a sound of disbelief in the back of her throat and looked at him for a long second. Finally she rolled her eyes and left the room muttering to herself.   
  
Unfortunately she didn't run into Jason on the way out. She really needed to shoot something.   
  
---  
  
Richard found himself smiling despite himself. The three of them were at a Chinese Restraunt, their table was loaded down with main dishes and they were all picking food off eachothers plates. Anya was a pro at using chopsticks, while Willow was reduced to stabbing food with hers or even *gasp* resorting to using the forks the restraunt so kindly provided.   
  
"I never really had any practice with them." She defended herself, "We rarely ate chinese food and when ever we did end up going Jesse would always end up sticking them up his nose." She gave the two of them serious looks, "You don't really want to eat with something, or touch for that matter, something thats been up someones nose."  
  
"Who's Jesse?" Richard asked.   
  
Willow waved a hand, "He was one of my best friends. He died a few years ago."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be, you didn't kill him."  
  
"Willow doesn't like false sympathy." Anya pointed out fom her side of the table, reaching across to the plate infront of him and grabbing a potsticker.   
  
"Well it wasn't false. But I'll leave it at that."  
  
"Good." Anya said, nodding and taking a drink out of her cup of tea. Turning her attention to Richard she appraised him like you would a painting in the mueseum, slowly and thouroghly. "So, Richard. Tell me about my new king. You married?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Divorced?"  
  
He shook his head no.  
  
"Seeing anyone seriously?"  
  
"Nope." He said quickly.   
  
"Ah. You just break up?" Anya nodded sagely, ignoring the kick Willow landed on her shin. Continuing to stare at Richard, making him fidget as he struggled to come up with an answer.   
  
"Yeah." he answered finally. Both females clucked thier tounges in sympathy, Willow reached a hand over to his forearm and rubbed a small circle with her thumb.   
  
"Why didn't you ever say anything?"  
  
They were good at this part. This is a vengence demons area of expertise. Getting the mark to finally open up and talk about thier heartache.   
  
Richard merely shrugged in response to her question.   
  
"Were you together long?"  
  
"A few months."   
  
"Was it really serious?"  
  
"We were engaged for awhile. Then we weren't."  
  
This seemed to strike with Anya. "She broke up with you after she commited to a relationship with marrige in the future?" Anya muttered a few words that if Anita had heard them, would probably end up with Anya sporting a nice new bullet hole.   
  
"I was left at the altar." She finally explained, after he had just stared at her, wondering at her reaction.   
  
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry. But no she didn't break up with me after that. She just started dating this other guy too. Then she slept with him and then we broke up."  
  
"My first boyfriend cheated on me. Then he left the country." Willow confided. The three of them just sat there in silence for a few minutes, the mood around thier table had become much more depressed.   
  
"I told you this would happen." Richard finally broke the silence with a sad laugh.  
  
"Oh it's fine. So who is she?" Willow wanted to know.   
  
"I really don't want to talk about it."   
  
"Why. We'll tell you our humiliating love stories, if you share yours." Willow offered.  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Thats fine." Anya said suddenly, "We promised to get you all liquored up if need be to cheer you up. We're living just up the street, we'll stop, get some alcohol, and get drunk."  
  
"I don't think so."   
  
"Come on."  
  
"No." Richard repeated firmly. Letting a bit of his power creep out to remind the girl that he was her master. Her dominant. That fact didn't seem to reach her.   
  
A few seconds after he had let some of his power out her head swung around to look at Willow. Anya's eyes widened for a second and she turned to look him in the eye, before dropping hers to the table in a submissive gesture.   
  
That was odd.   
  
He shrugged it off and bowed out of the celebration party to go home. Willow didn't protest, just walked out to his car with him to talk when Anya volunteered to pay.   
  
__  
  
"Sorry about Anya. She's kinda intense if your not used to her. She's intense if you are actually. Come to think of it. I didn't mean to get you in a funk." She looked up at him apoligetically. Richard waved off her apology.   
  
"It's fine. I'm glad you dragged me out. I've been in a funk as you put it for too long. This actually helped."  
  
"Well I'm here to help." She replied with a smile, "My purpose in life."  
  
Reaching out her arms she pulled him into a hug, surprising him. Not upsetting him though. Instead he leaned down to hug her back.  
  
She had become a good friend over the past few weeks.   
  
When he turned his head to give her a kiss on the cheek, as a thank you, he met her lips instead. Both of them stilled for a second in surprise...  
  
But neither one of them pulled away.   
  
___  
  
TBC  
  
Oooohh. Who saw that coming? I loved writing this chapter. I was going to end it when Anita left the Circus but my internet went on a temporary fritz so I had nothing better to do but continue to write. But it's back on now, and this is a good place to end it.   
  
Laura D, I know this bothers you, but I only seem to get reviews when I demand them. So thats what i'm doing.   
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I've been adrift i a sea of sadness cause I only got 3 reviews for the last chapter. And one for the they first four chapters that I finally got around to posting on fanfiction.net.   
  
REview PLease. Make me smile, make me write another chapter sooner than the few days it took me to churn tis one out.   
  
That was me bribing all my loyal fans.   
  
I currently have no set plan in mind for the next chapter, so no preview.   
  
*****************************  
  
I have a tiny challenge for you though...  
  
What do you think Richard should wish for, I'll post my favorite with the next chapter. I might even ask to use it cause I have a few wishes in mind some of which will ruin the continuity for the future books and the future stories for the series I have planned.   
  
Extra points for really creative wishes that make me laugh, and ones that sound like something Richard would actually wish for.   
  
They can be towards either Anita or Jean Claude, but if you have other intesting victims for the wih to be instilled upon, be my guest and post it.   
  
****************************  
  
Thats all for now. Until next time. 


	6. Warnings

I wasn't planning on writing another chapter this soon, but the muse struck and I felt the need to start it now.   
  
Big news! I think that the next chapter after this one will be the last chapter for this story, which will be followed by an epilogue and then I will be able to get started on the next fic in the series, which I think may end up a one parter, perhaps two. And it will take place in the past.   
  
On my little challenge: I honestly loved all the wishes that were posted. Especially this one by Saiyasith  
  
"Hmm.... what other kind of wishes could he make? If you want to be evil, you could have him say "I wish she'd stop sleeping with so many men!" Then, of course, Ms. Vengence Willow would make Anita's ardeur respond only to women.... heh..."  
  
Mostly I love it cause I spent a few minutes imagining Anita's response to that. Think about it, it's funny. Then think about Jean Claudes reaction. *He he he*  
  
Also I've decided on the wish I'm using, and some of you might be a little dissapointed by it, because it's a little anticlimatic, but it's in charecter for Richard and the situation I'm putting him in.   
  
One more thing, Willow may seem a little... cold for parts of this. I got a review that said she seemed OOC, and I think thats what the person meant. You need to take into consideration that she is a demon now, and not the Willow we're all used to. just reread her mental dialogue for the first few chapters, if you need an example. Don't stop reading this a few chapters in (which is probably what I would do if I were a reader, cause I'm picky like that) because you don't like her reaction. I'm trying to do this so she actually feels something, but it's believable enough for a now demon Willow to be feeling.   
  
Thanks for your time, now on with the show.  
  
___  
  
They were still kissing whe Anya came out of the restraunt. She didn't call attention to herself though, she just walked over to the car, climbed in the passenger seat, and stared at them through the windshield.   
  
When that didn't get their attention, because when someone's staring at you, you can feel it, she "accidentily" honked the horn. Which startled them enough for them both to jump apart. Richard blushed and ran a hand through his hair, "Sorry."   
  
"Don't be. I'm not." Willow informed him.   
  
"But I just..."  
  
"Your not breaking any rules Richard. We're both single consenting adults. It may of happened by accident but it was enjoyable for both of us." She stared at him a second before asking, "It was enjoyable for both of correct?"  
  
"What?" He seemed shocked by this question, "Yes! It was nice." He looked at her worried that he had somehow offended her.   
  
"I'm kidding." She assured him, "I'm not offended as easily as Anya."  
  
"Right. And speaking of Anya." He peered around Willow to look pointedly at Willow's car, in which Anya was still sitting, staring at them with a look of interest on her face.  
  
"Yeah, she's impatient." They were both silent for a moment. "Well I'll see you tomorrow at work." Willow turned to head back to her car, and then turned back to him. They both took a step closer to each other, before Willow cracked a smile and said Bye again, hurrying back to her car.   
  
Richard watched them drive off before climbing in his car and heading home himself.   
  
"What just happened?" His mind kept repeating the question. And in answer he drew a blank. But he had liked it.   
  
___  
  
They were silent all he way home, and the entire elevator ride. They had just walked into the apartment when Anya burst out, "What do you think our doing?"  
  
"Nothing Anyanka. I'm simply getting closer to him so I can get a wish out of him." Willow replied blandly, rolling her shoulders to relax herself, before heading into the kitchen to put the left over chinese food in the fridge.   
  
"Your not supposed to get emotionally involved with summoners."  
  
"Anya! We are emotionally involved with every summoner we go to! If we weren't we wouldn't be there to make them feel better about being themselves. That is getting emotionally involved. You befriend them if you must, and then you do what they ask!"  
  
"But you aren't supposed to do it like that. You aren't supposed to betray them further by doing your job."  
  
"Hah! How do you think that girl felt when you killed an entire fraternity. She has to live with that on her conscience. I think that counts as betrayal." Willow shot that back at the All Knowing Anyanka, glaring at her as she spoke.   
  
Anya blinked rapidly for a few seconds in the silence that followed Willows acusation. Walking over to the kitchen table she sat down and spoke with her forehead in her hands, her face pointed at the tabletop.   
  
"We never got along when we were human. I was taking your best friend from you. I was to blunt, to...me... for you to get along with. But I consider you my friend now. You were there for me after Xander left me, even though we had never been friends before that."   
  
Anya took a deep breath, and ran her hands back through her hair, "We're demons Willow. But we've been human. And it'll take a long time for that to completly leave us. I feel guilt for what I've done since I came back. I still feel love and jealousy, and all this human CRAP!" Anya banged her hand down on the table as she said that, she looked up at Willow who was still standing infront of the open refridgerator door.   
  
"And I know what it'll feel like for you if you get emotionally involved with him. What happens if you do, and he makes his wish? Have you thought about that? D'Hoffryn won't let you just stay here so you can continue living in happiness with a mortal." Sighing she continued, "I just want you to think thouroughly about this before you get into anything you haven't prepared for the consequences of."  
  
Willow closed her eyes as Anya's words struck home. Closing the door to the fridge she walked over to the table and sat across from Anya.   
  
"I know what your saying. And I feel lucky that you care enough to say it. But nothings going to happen between us. Not like you mean anyway. I'm not going to fall in love with him. I like him well enough, but he hates himself so much but is still so naive about the world around him, it's a little disgusting. Everything I'm doing is just to get the wish." Willow shrugged, "It's my job. It's the path I chose in life and I don't regret it."  
  
"God I'm depressed." Anya spoke finally, illiciting a small giggle from Willow. Anya joined in the laughter.   
  
"Lets go out. Grant a few wishes. I'm getting buildup he's been taking to long." Willow proposed.   
  
"Oh god yes. That is just what I need." Anya replied getting up from the table and heading to her room to change into a suitable outfit. Willow went to hr room to do the same. There were scorned women out there who needed thier help.  
  
---  
  
Willow smiled at her last class of the day as they exited the classroom. Outside the hallway was filled with eager shouts of excitement about the three day weekend that was starting right then. Willow's eyes were right, and he cheeks had a red flush to them, but it wasn't from excitement over an extended break from school. She was still a young demon, so when she worked her mojo, like she and Anya had spent the better part of last night doing, she still got a slight physical high from it.   
  
It was like a rush of endorphins rather than the high you get from drugs. It was like a jolt of caffine to a sleepy system, just what you needed to get the body going in the morning.   
  
A knock sounded on the door joinng her and Richards classrooms, placing a smile on her face, and dismissing Anya's advice from the night before, she called out for whoever was there to come in.   
  
Richard came in, but stayed on the opposite side of the classroom as he gave her a wave. She waved back.   
  
"Hi."  
  
"Howdy." She replied giving him a grin, and waving at a passing student as Richard slowly edged his way closer to her desk.   
  
"I'm not going to bite you ya know." She said when he was still more than halfway across the room, and only slowing down as he crossed the room, then deciding to play up the flirting she leaned across her desk and looked him over, "Unless you wanted me to of course."  
  
He really was a boyscout. Because that seemed to stop him in his tracks. Winking to relieve a bit of the tension she got up from behind her desk and sauntered over to him. Brushing her finger over one of the buttons on his shirt she looked up at him with her eyes wide, "Well?" She asked.   
  
"Well what?" He asked quickly. Rolling her eyes good naturedly she gave him a look that clearly said, * You know what.* but decded to let it drop. Walking past him to get to the basket of papers that needed to be graded she started talking about something that probably wouldn't result in him freezing up.   
  
"So what are you doing over this delightful threeday slice of freedom?"  
  
"Well, I wwas planning on asking you out for the day. But I don't think so now. Your intentions don't sound honorable." He teased. Who knew?  
  
"Well if you tell me what this day would entail. I might be able to gather up the strength to restrain myself."  
  
"I was thinking maybe we could go on a hike. Maybe have a picnic? But judging by the look on your face I would have to guess that would be a no."   
  
"Sorry. Not much of a nature girl. Next suggestion?" She asked.   
  
"Umm. We could go out to a club? And dinner?"  
  
"Dancing and me aren't friends."  
  
"Thank god. We aren't close aquaintences either."  
  
"Well we have that in common. How about we rent some movies, and just hang out?" Willow suggested.  
  
"I can handle that. What movies do you like?"  
  
"I like most movies. I'm not picky when it comes to that."   
  
"Well we'll just have to go to Blockbuster and pick some out. Saturday?"  
  
"Sounds like a plan. Where and when?"  
  
He stopped to think about this, "I can pick you up around noon. And we can go to my house." He offered.   
  
"Ok." Willow agreed.   
  
They lapsed into one of thier silent moments, Richard broke it first. "Well I'll call you tonight. We'll work everything out. But I have to go now."  
  
"Okie dokie." Willow wiggled her fingers at him, causing him to smile and head back to his classroom. But right at the door he turned back around and walked back over to her. When he reached her he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss before turning back to his classroom, smiling all the way.   
  
___  
  
TBC  
  
Ok folks, thats as good a place to end it as any. NExt chapter, thier date, and hopefully and little interuption by Anita Blake.   
  
Should be the last real chapter next time. Keep your wishes coming please.  
  
AND I STILL WANT REVIEWS!!!! 


	7. The Date

I'm writing this AN like I do everyone I've ever written. Before I've written a word of the chapter that follows. From where I see this story heading in this chapter this should be the last real chapter of this story. That may change by the time I get to the end, but I doubt it. There will be an epilogue though.   
  
Don't kill me for the wish. Thats all I'm asking. Well that and please review.   
  
I'm going to attempt to write this chapter like I did the first ones. No ones particular point of view but telling the thoughts of those present, I sort of abandoned that style when Anya showed, which kinda stunk because I really liked it, and it gave a better rounded view of Willows emotions and the demon personality of her.   
  
Note for this chapter and it's Buffy continuity. I'm making Something Blue happen a little later in the season four universe so Willow and Tara did have a *little* something going on before she got demonized. Nothing to serious, because she was still all hung up on Oz when he sent for his stuff.   
  
__  
  
"Think I'll get it today?" Willow asked casually as she sat on the living room couch with Anya who was still in her pajama's and watching the news.   
  
"The wish or an..."  
  
"Don't finish that sentence." Willow interupted, knowing what was most likely to come out of her friends mouth. Something dirty.   
  
"I think you may just get both. But I'd go for the second before the wish. You know how he is about monsters." Anya advised.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind."  
  
"Thats why I said it." Anya replied, flipping to another news station, "I don't talk for my own health."  
  
Anya was a baffling being. It was as simple as that. She was so human, yet at the same time the complete antithesis of what is expected of a humen. Which is understandable, cause you know, demon, around for over a millenia. And for being around for that long, and being directly responsible for some of the worst things to happen to mankind (specifically the man half of it) she was so naive, but at the same time not.   
  
Therefore she was baffling. Willow just stuck with that lable because if she tried to properly catergorise Anyanka her brain would explode, and she still handn't figured out the full extent of her healing powers now that she wasn't human.   
  
"Why are you flipping through the news channels like that?" Willow finally asked after the news station had changed 7 times in the last 3 minutes.   
  
The look Anya gave her was far to innocent.   
  
"No." When her look turned from innocent to sheepish, Willw knew she had been right, "Anya! What did I say the rules were?"  
  
"No granting spells that change the world as they know it." Anya recited dutifully, "And no summon-" Anya was cut off by a knock at the door, which she looked supremly greatful for.   
  
"We'll discuss this when I get back." Willow promised, giving her "cousin" a threatening glare as she walked over to the door. Covering her features with the sweet smile and bubbly exterior Richard had come to expect, Willow swung open the door and said, "Hi!" In a cheerful voice.   
  
Richard was standing in the hallway wearing a raincoat and looking very handsome. Willow was not in the habit of denying the obvious. Richard was one good looking man. Anita Blake was mentally deficent to choose someone over him just because of a little thing like werewolf slime.   
  
"Hello." He didn't come in, but he did stick his head in the doorway to say a quick hi to Anya, who just nodded in response and continued to search the news channels for whatever she had done.   
  
"You ready?" He asked, looking her over quickly. She nodded in response and grabbed her jacket, purse, and umbrella off the coat rack where she had them waiting.   
  
"You were all prepared." Richard observed, as they walked down the hall to the elevator.   
  
"And you didn't believe I was a scout." Willow made a clucking noise while shaking her head in false remorse. "So whats the plan Stan?"  
  
Richard glanced at her sidelong as they rode down to the first floor in the elevator before answering, "Theres a Blockbuster a few blocks away. Have you eaten lunch yet?"  
  
"I woke up about an hour ago and ate breakfast. Does that count?"  
  
"Are you still hungry?"  
  
"Not really."   
  
"Then I guess it counts." Richard nodded astutely as a clear plan formed in his mind, "We can have a late lunch."  
  
"Like a linner? Or a Dunch?"  
  
"Just like that." He agreed chuckling at her words. The elevator dinged to a stop and a few seconds later the doors opened. They walked across the lobby and just before they went outside Willow opened up her umbrella.   
  
"Thats bad luck."   
  
Willow glanced out through the glass doors to the rain pouring outside before replying, "I'm willing to risk it."  
  
___  
  
"So what movies do you like?" He asked after about ten minutes of them perusing the aisles of the movie rental store with little luck.   
  
"I like most of them. Except those slasher ones that are just an excuse to see boobs and blood." Willow replied after a moments contemplation, making a middle aged man a few feet down the aisle from them blush when he overheard and hurriedly put a movie back on the shelf, before retreating away from them.  
  
"You did that on purpose." Richard accused stifling a laugh so as not to embarass the man further.   
  
"Yes I did." Willow replied without guile, picking up the discarded box and reading the back, she held it up for his inspection, and he shrugged. "I happen to like the boobs and the blood."   
  
*Let him chew on that for awhile.* She thought with a hidden grin she returned the movie to it's shelf and wandered away from him to look for movies in a different aisle.   
  
After a few minutes of individual searches Richard joined Willow again. He was apparently choosing to forget her hint from earlier. To bad, she kind of wanted to see him blush again. It was cute.   
  
"Do you like musicals?"   
  
"Like... Rocky Horror Picture Show?"   
  
"Not the one I had in mind but I suppose that'll work."  
  
"They're okay. Haven't seen to many of them outside of Disney movies. Why do you see one you want to get?"  
  
"Not really. Just filing away information. Find anything good?" He motioned to the movies in her hands. She had two. She held them up, Dirty Dancing and the Goonies. "I love the eightys." She sang, a hint of embarassment inner voice. He leaned in and asked conspiratorially, "Do you remember the eightys?"  
  
She let herself blush a little bit, but answered seriously, "I suffered a severe head trauma at the age of 17."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry." He looked genuinely sorry for bringing up her previous injury.   
  
"I'm kidding." She told him when he paused his apologys for a second.   
  
Now he just looked annoyed, "You do that a lot. So you weren't the victim of a serious head injury at the age of 17?"  
  
"No. I was." Willow assured him, "It just didn't result in any lasting memory loss."  
  
"So. If you don't mind me asking? What happened?"  
  
"Oh. I got a book case knocked over on me. Word of advice, and don't just dismiss this as BS, ancient tomes, not best used as pillows." She smiled at her own little joke and then continued, "Got knocked unconscius for a few hours. They weren't sure I was gonna wake up."   
  
"I've just heard little scraps of stories from your life, and I gotta say. It sounds very...eventful."  
  
"You could put it that way. What did you find?" She changed the subject pointing to the movie in his hand. He handed it to her and she smiled, "I've never seen this." Linking her arm through his, she asked, "We ready to go?"  
  
"I'd say so."  
  
__  
  
"So you've never seen Casablanca?" Richard had been commenting on this apparent anomoly in humanhood since they left the video store.   
  
"You've never seen The Goonies." Willow shot back plopping herself down on Richards couch as he put the first movie in the VCR. He'd wanted to watch Casablance first, to save her from being one of the only three people on this planet who apparently hadn't seen it. Twice. But she'd used her feminine wiles (she pouted) until he consented to watching The Goonies.   
  
"I have an excuse. You sir, have none. I am but a mere child of this modern age that does not appreciate the past like it should." He let out a scoff, an actual scoff at her excuse, giving him a playful glare she continued, "You however, at least according to my calculations should of been the target age for the viewing audience when this masterpeice of modern cinema, aka The Goonies was released. I'm not the one in the wrong here. You are."   
  
And with that she crossed her arms over her chest and watched as the Fratelli's began the movies, overplaying her ignoring of Richard who sat to her left.   
  
"It's a movie about kids who look for a pirate ship."  
  
"To save thier homes. Wait until you see the truffle shuffle and then tell me i'm the one who's commited a grievous sin."  
  
By the end of the movie Willow had forgiven Richard and was scooted over right next to him. He had refused to admit it was classic worthy, but that it was still worth watching. Richard put Casablanca in but neither of them were really focusing on it.   
  
Willow was attempting to draw him into conversation, about Anita and his breakup of course, but without seeming obvious. It was hard to do.   
  
It went along the lines of this,  
  
"Oh, look. Ingred Bergman cheated on her husband with Bogart. What a coinkydink."  
  
"Willow."  
  
"I mentioned I had been cheated on once right? Well I was so mad at him. I-"  
  
"Willow."   
  
"found myself wishing he had a constant case of fleas. Or that something bad happened to him."   
  
"Willow, just watch the movie."  
  
"Do you wish anything happened to your girlfriend who cheated on you?"  
  
"No. Watch the movie Willow."  
  
"Come on. I won't tell her. It'll make you feel better-"  
  
Richard cut off her babble with a kiss.   
  
A very good kiss. But she wouldn't be deterred. No siree, because when he pulled back to see if she had dropped the subject she finished her previously interupted sentence, "I promise."   
  
When she opened her mouth again to continue, he just kissed her again. Slower.   
  
This time she was deterred, because when he pulled back again, and then made move to back off when she didn't start talking again, she caught a hand behind his head and pulled him back down to her.   
  
--  
  
"I don't usually do this." Richard admitted a while later. The movie was over, and Willow still had yet to see Casablanca in it's entirety.   
  
She wasn't complaining though. Neither was Richard. He was trying to rationalize it however.   
  
They were both laying on his couch, which because it wasn't so big, and he wasn't so small resulted in Willow laying mostly ontop of him. They were covered in the small thin blanket that usually lay across the back of the couch, and nothing else.   
  
"Me neither." Willow answered truthfuully.   
  
"I believe in being in a commited relationship before having sex."  
  
"It's an admirable belief." Willow responded vaguely, staring at the lock of his hair she was twirling between her fingers as he spoke.   
  
"But we didn't wait."  
  
"Nope." She agreed, and his hand stilled momentarily in her hair but quickly resumed it's path from her forehead to the ends of her hair.   
  
"So."  
  
"So... Do you regret it?" She found herself asking, and then was shocked to find she really didn't want to hear him say yes.   
  
"Kind of." He responded after a long pause. And Willow stiffened slightly next to him. He turned to look at her and smile reassuringly at he. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and elaborated. "I kind of wish we had waited until we knew something more than eachothers classroom numbers, and eachothers idea of a classic movie. Especially since you said you liked the ones with boobs." He squeezed her to his side to remind her of her earlier words, "But I'm not sorry it happened. Because I really-"  
  
A knock on the door interuppted him. Rolling his eyes he brought a finger to his lips motioning for her to stay quiet. Both of them stayed silent for a few seconds, but the person on the other side of the door apparently didn't get the hint, because they knocked again.   
  
Groaning he got up from the couch and reached for his jeans laying on the floor. As he pulled them on he called, "Hold on a second!" He gave her another kiss, before walking over to the door in his kitchen, barefoot and bare chested.   
  
Swinging open the door to look at the intruder, looked over towards the couch, Willow was still laying down. Thank god. He didn't want to deal with Anita seeing her right now. Barely opening the door he looked out at his ex girlfriend, shocked to hell that she was actually standing there.   
  
"Can I come in?" She asked after a minute.   
  
"No." He answered, making her get a hurt look on her face, "What do you want?"  
  
"I want to come in." She answered, shoving into the door and surprising him enough that the door popped open and out of his hand. "It's raining outside you know." Walking into the kitchen she shrugged off her raincoat, and without looking around she turned to look at him.   
  
"Then go to your own house." He replied, "Cause in the real world, not like the one you choose to exist in where your say is final above all thers, ex girlfriends don't pop around to the houses of thier ex's just for a casual visit."   
  
"Well like you said. I don't exist in the real world." Scowling at him she asked, "What the hell is your problem Richard. I come over here to work on our problems and you behave like an ass."  
  
"We've worked out our problems Anita. Remember, we broke up after you screwed your vampire boyfriend."  
  
"Thier were circumstances!" She exclaimed.   
  
"Yeah, you have commitment issues. I accept that, and am now over it. Please leave." Richard shot back. Anita clenched her fist like she wanted to punch him, but then relaxed it walking over to where he still stood holding the door open.   
  
"You know me Richard. I don't beg for anything. And I'm already kicking myself for showing up here. But the thing is, I miss you."   
  
There was a sound of someone clearing thier throat, and Anita spun aroun, her hand going to her gun out of habit, and her gaze landing on Willow.   
  
At least Willows head and bare arms and shoulders, which were propped up on the back of the couch, as she watched them with interest. Her lips were turned up in a very slight smile as she looked Anita over.   
  
"You gonna use that?" Willow asked, nodding her head at the gun Anita had unholstered and now held limply by her side.   
  
"Thinking about it." Anita replied.   
  
"Anita!" Richard shoute, outraged. Both women ignored him.   
  
"On you or me?" Willow wanted to know.   
  
"Haven't decided." Anita answered back vaguely, reaching the hand holding the gun up to press between her eyebrows. "I'm going to go." Her eyes rested on Willow for a beat, before quickly passing over Richard. "I'm sorry."  
  
And with no more ado she left the house, brushing past Richard, but not touching him once, she didn't even bother to get the raincoat she had lain over one of the kitchen table chairs.   
  
Richard closed the door behind her, and then rested his head on the door. He smacked his head on the door a few times, before turning around, to find Willow standing behind him, weaing the throw blanket like a towel. She was smiling to.   
  
"So that was her huh?" When he didn't respond she walked over and wapped her arms around his waist smiling up at him.   
  
"I recognize her. Anita Blake, the executioner. Why am I not surprised?" Well mostly because she already knew all this. Had infact known since before she met Richard Zeeman, but she wasn't going to tell him that.   
  
"She's shorter than I would of guessed." Moving one of her hands up to cup the base of his skull, she asked, "Care to make that wish now? It'll make you feel better. I promise." She held up three fingers, causing him to smile.   
  
"Yeah. I wish," Leaning down to look her straight in the eye, "that you would stop bringing up Anita in every conversation." He pulled back slightly to look at her response, and he was surprised to see her give a sad smile, before standing on her tip toes to press a kiss against his lips.   
  
When they pulled apart, Richard jumped backwards when he saw her face, it was like the anatomy posters they hung in the nurses office, showing all the muscles beneath your skin.   
  
"Done."  
  
And then she was gone.   
  
___  
  
Oh my god. I finished it. This is the first multi chaptered story I have ever finished. The epilogue will probably be up tomorrow, I have to get some sleep.   
  
I told you, anticlimatic wish. Please review and give your comments on what you think.   
  
Thank you so much to everyone who's read dedicatedly, and especially the ones who reviewed.   
  
Thank you for reading. 


	8. The End

Here it is folks, the long awaited, delayed cause I was depressed, conclusion to this story. I'ts kind of in the style of the epilogues of the Anita Blake books. a final summary, of the events that happen and a clue towards the future. I want to thank everyone who reviewed. I'm not going to name certain people since only a small majority of them are named on fanfiction.net, the only place this is curently posted, since I removed all my stories from Twisting the Hellmouth. So thanks you, all of you.   
  
___  
  
She had just dissapeared, not with a crack of smoke, a bang, or even a whimper, just her being gone. All evidence of her presence still in in the living room. Her shoes were sitting under the coffee table, her clothes were by the couch.  
  
The only thing missing was her.   
  
Even the blanket she had liberated from the couch had fallen to the ground.   
  
When everything sunk through to Richard he had slid down the door he was leaning against and just sat on the floor, staring at nothing, thinking over what had happened.   
  
She'd wanted him to wish for something, and when he had she had become deformed and granted his wish. Because she couldn't very well bring Anita up in thier every conversation if they no longer had conversations.   
  
And they wouldn't be able to have ciinversations if she was gone.   
  
Eventually he got up off the floor. And eventually he picked up her things. He washed her clothes with a load of his own, and folded them, and brought them to work with him to return to her should she be there.   
  
She wasn't. So he took them home and put them in his dresser drawer so they would be ready for her when she came back.   
  
She couldn't stay gone forever could she?  
  
He folded the blanket and put it back over the back of the couch.   
  
He returned the movies to Blockbuster and went home.   
  
And waited for her to come back and explain.   
  
He went to her apartment to look for her, but she wasn't there. Neither was Anya.   
  
Thats when he left. He ran away with the excuse that he needed to work on one of his degree's in Tennessee. He called the Ulfric there, arranged it, and was gone within a week of the day she left.   
  
Shang-Da and Jamil went with him, they thought he was still mourning over Anita.   
  
Everyone thought he was still mourning over his and Anita's breakup.   
  
Anita, despite what she had walked into his house and seen, probably thought his leaving was about her.   
  
He didn't let them know any different.   
  
He allowed them to think it was all about Anita, they didn't know Willow, and he didn't want to explain.   
  
Because then he'd have to talk about something he had no clue about.   
  
Why she just dissapeared.  
  
---  
  
THE END!! NOT TO BE CONTINUED, UNLESS I MANAGE TO CHURN OUT THE SEQUELS I HAVE IN MIND.   
  
Thanks for reading, review and tell me what you think about the conclusion. 


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